Creamy butternut squash soup

Dietitian's tip:

Roasting the squash for this soup gives the best flavor, but you can boil squash if you're in a hurry.

Ingredients

1. 1 teaspoon olive oil
2. 2 cups chopped onion
3. 1 cup chopped carrots
4. 1 cup chopped celery
5. 4 cups roasted butternut squash
6. 2 cups water
7. 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
8. 3 tablespoons brown sugar
9. 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
10. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
11. 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
12. 1/4 cup cornstarch
13. 1/4 cup cold water
14. 1/4 cup half-and-half

Directions

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot Add the onion, carrots and celery and saute until tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add squash, water, broth, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Let soup simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Place soup in a blender, small amounts at a time. Place a towel over the lid of the blender to avoid the lid popping up. Add blended soup back to soup pot and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch slurry at a time to the boiling soup mixture and whisk until the soup reaches desired thickness. Add half-and-half, stir and serve.

Created by the executive wellness chef and registered dietitians at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program.